Honolulu Community College Develops Marine Welding Program

(Honolulu) – Meeting an economic opportunity and industry need, 13 students have successfully completed a new workforce stabilization program in Marine Welding and will enter the workforce with skills needed to meet industry demands. These first-time program completers will be recognized tomorrow in a special ceremony that will also celebrate this first of its kind partnership with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR), Honolulu Community College, the University of Hawai‘i Community College’s (UHCC) Workforce Development Office and the Ship Repair Association of Hawai‘i (SRAH).

“Through a successful collaboration to develop a workforce stabilization program with marine industry partners, the DLIR and Honolulu Community College, we were able to create a program in marine welding. We are proud to announce that we have a 100% successful completion rate amongst the participants. Moving forward, we hope to continue our efforts to create similar programs to support other industries,” shares Keala Chock, Dean of Transportation and Trades at Honolulu Community College.

The 13 students come from various backgrounds including veterans and long-term unemployed workers. Components of the program include:

1. Volunteer Internship Program organized by the DLIR

2. Short-Term Workforce Training organized by Honolulu Community College

Tomorrow, the completers of this program will receive a certificate of professional development having gone through the following course work: OSHA Marine 7614 Certification, Welding Workmanship Training, Marine Blueprint training, Shield Metal Arc Welding and Flux Core Arc Welding. A majority of them will continue on to the on-the-job training portion of the program.

Through a Chamber of Commerce ad hock committee on Workforce Development and Education specifically focusing on manufacturing, an economic opportunity to up-skill shipyard workers during workflow down time was explored and quickly metamorphosized into this Marine Welding collaborative. The goal of this joint venture is to stabilize the workforce in the marine welding industry that ties to the State’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS) plan as the marine industry supports Department of Defense contracts.

"There continues to be a mismatch between job openings and qualifications of jobseekers as employers struggle to develop and maintain a home-grown skilled workforce. This program is one example of private and public sectors working together to help address the shortfall in this vital industry," explains Elaine Young, Director of Workforce Development Division and Interim Executive Director of the Workforce Development Council.

“The ship repair industry in Hawai'i plays an important role maintaining the fleets of ships in our maritime dependent state and Honolulu Community College’s new Marine Welding Training Program is a great step in meeting the skilled workforce demands of our industry,” shares Iain Wood President of the Ship Repair Association of Hawai‘i. “The Ship Repair Association of Hawai'i (SRAH), in partnership with Honolulu CC and DLIR have come together to help create this important program that will allow our industry to grow and create more jobs for Hawai'i’s workforce. This is an exceptional opportunity and we look forward to continuing and expanding the program into other core areas of our industry.”